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victakestaipei · 7 years

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WEEK 4 RECAP: “Power, Chase Bank Complaints, and TYPHOON SEASON”

As I stated in my previous posts, I’m really really really sorry for the delay here on my WEEK 4 RECAP. Granted, my weeks have started to become pretty routine; But I still like to keep my word with you guys and blog every weekend, despite the topic being my humdrum weekdays.

Anyway, let’s get to it:

Monday:

My monday was one for the books, honestly. I stayed in bed all day long blogging and doing homework and just being a bum. It felt awesome. We got in from the Philippines early this morning, and I didn’t actually get in the bed until about 4am, so I took the liberty of playing hooky, and NO RAGRETS!

I only left the house to get breakfast with Bunny... We went to this breakfast joint by our house and I splurged on an egg scallion pancake, a breakfast sandwich, orange juice, and a hash brown patty. It was bomb, but who am I kidding, it’s always bomb. I didn’t end up doing my homework until later in the evening, which ended up backfiring because I had SO MUCH HOMEWORK TO CATCH UP ON. It was actually pretty insane, but I still got it all done. For dinner Bunny and I picked up some potstickers from the place right outside our dorms that you all have already heard SO much about because we literally go there multiple times a week. Like I said in my intro... HUM. DRUM.

Tuesday:

Today we went to the bakery before class, I had my daily tea, and barely survived the 3 hour period. After class we went to the gym, and I did leg day today. My legs were shaking so much, it was like they had turned to jelly over the weekend. I think this is due to the fact I took 4 days off🙄 but I managed to get my mile down to 8:30 today!!! Y’ALL!!! BASK IN THE GLORY!!! Progress!!! Slowly but surely!!!

After the gym we went to a restaurant on the Shi Da market for lunch, and ordered fried chicken curry with rice and veggies. It was super good, and only 100 NT! (About $3.35 US).

Afterwards, we went home and I took the longest shower ever, and then a nap (I really really needed it). I got up just to do homework, and then crawled back into the bed. I found a website that lets me watch Power online so that I can FINALLY catch up to the new season. BLESS UP!!! I started watching this show over the summer, but then I got caught up with other stuff so I never caught all the way up. I last left off on Season 2 Episode 7, but I heard the new season 4 is BATSHIT CRAZY so I need to catch up PRONTO. (Also, can I just take a minute and say I freakin’ hate Angela??? Ugh. Tasha is a ride or DIE and Angela comes waltzing in and I’m just mad as hell. Ghost is such a punkass. I literally cannot deal. Let me shut up while I’m ahead before ya’ll comment and spoil something for me.)

...He still fine as hell though... :-’)

For dinner we went to the Gong guan night market to get Gua Bao (remember those pork hamburger things from my “WEEK 2 RECAP” post? “Gua Bao? Gua BOMB!”) and egg scallion pancakes. We didn't leave the house until after 11pm, so alot of our options were closed at that point.

Wednesday:

I actually got up on time to head to the bus, and I was WELL RESTED!! Wow, such a rare occurance. In class I got a 95% on my dialogue quiz today. I’m getting used to pulling these A’s, but our lessons have gotten significantly harder so I find myself reviewing the characters twice as much as usual. Ew.

At the gym I did chest/shoulders/abs. I wore the wrong leggings to the gym today... I wore my normal black leggings instead of my work out leggings, so I didn't do cardio because I didn't want to be all sweaty in my normal cloth leggings... I don’t know I'm weird I guess?? But my ass was looking PHAT at the gym since I had normal leggings on hehe

After the gym Bunny and I tried this Italian spot by our school. They have a lunch menu where you can get a dish AND a side for 99 NT!!! (3-4$ US). What a deal!! I ordered pesto penne pasta and pumpkin soup as my side. Pretty plain, but still super yummy!

After lunch I went home to shower and do my homework and relax. Bunny and I got dinner around 9 because we were STARVING more than usual. I guess the soup and pasta didn’t do it for me. We hopped on the bus to head to Gong guan, but we missed our exit so we ended up taking the bus all the way to our school to go to the Shi Da night market there. MIND YOU I LOOK LIKE A CRAZY CAT LADY. I twisted my hair up and put on two bandanas after taking a shower and putting product in... and I had on a long flowy printed dress I got from the Philippines. Needless to say I looked crazy, in my shower flip flops. We got the soy sauce noodles to-go, with green beans, udon, cabbage, broccoli, and tofu. I also got to chat with my mom on skype tonight which was nice, after struggling to get her speakers to work (for like 20min) so she could actually hear me. I stuffed my face while on the phone with her, and she cheekily said “how come whenever I get you on skype you ALWAYS EATIN??” Then proceeds to laugh hysterically and say “you gonna regret it!! It’s gonna go straight to your hips!!!” ......So charming *eyeroll*, gotta love her lol....

I went to bed super late because I had the migraine of a lifetime. I think it might have been because I didn’t get a tea this morning... Caffeine headaches will be the death of me.

Thursday:

I woke up with the same migraine, and was moving slow because I was so tired and my head was banging!! It was like the drummer guy from Whiplash was putting in WERK on my forehead. I was about 10 minutes late to class... I tried to rush because I knew we had a test in class, but I just couldn’t bring myself to get out of the bed on time. Kokoro (the Japanese student in my class) and I rode on the same bus to class, he was late too because he had gone clubbing last night! On a Wednesday??... Turns out, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is here, it’s lit at the club every night.

Class was good today. It didn't feel like it dragged as much. But, I was starving the whole time because I didn’t have time to grab some food before strolling into the class. Our teacher referenced the upcoming typhoon today! Meaning, it will be pouring, dumping rain all next week, starting this weekend. There will also be fierce winds. She told us how many people stay home and grocery shop a lot beforehand because transportation and a lot of businesses are closed. For those of you who don’t know, a typhoon is basically a hurricane. I'm not mentally prepared. Our teacher said that typhoon season lasts three months, starting in August. I’m nervous about the food aspect because we don't have a fridge in the dorm so I'm about to be eating perishables all week... canned beans and rice? God, I’m not excited. But maybe class will be cancelled a few days this week? A girl can dream!!!

In the gym it was leg day yet again! My legs weren’t half as shaky as tuesday so that’s good. I ran a 8:45 mile, after almost DYING on the first treadmill I hopped on. I was adjusting the speed and the treadmill skipped and I almost flew the fuck off. My arms were flailing and I let out this loud/awkward noise and everyone was looking at me. I caught my balance and didn't die, but I definitely quietly turned off the machine and moved to another treadmill shortly after. I think that messed up my mojo because while I was running I was constantly paranoid of the same thing happening on the machine next door.

After the gym the three of us went to Shi Da market. I pulled out cash from the ATM but was pretty bitter about it because I looked at my bank statement and my bank (Chase Bank) charges a $5 FEE WITH EVERY NON-CHASE ATM WITHDRAWAL that I make... THAT ADDS UP?!!! Are u kidding me??! I’M BROKE AS IT IS CHASE, CUT ME SOME SLACK!!! I'm so salted. I hate Chase Bank. They suck ass. Do you know how many WITHDRAWALS I’VE HAD TO MAKE WHILE HERE??? I need a Charles Schwab account because it seems like they’re the only bank not trying to PLAY US.

I tried a new place for lunch where they had these small fried dumplings. I would show a picture but I inhaled it so fast that I didn't get to. So here's a picture of the box...hehe

I also got some more dragonfruit today V so so good.

After the gym I came home, showered, and relaxed. I ended up napping around 8 and woke up at like 10:30pm... I did my homework in class so I'm probably just going to eat something small and crawl back into the bed. I got a banana at the Family Mart convenience store and some apple juice and a pack of yan yans. Yan Yans are those pretzel stick things that come with the chocolate dip and they’re super good?? I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. I talked to Karis on the phone, and then Paris shortly after that. It was SO GOOD to see Paris’s face and hear his voice after so long. :-’) I miss you roomie!! I knocked out again after hanging up with him.

Friday:

This morning I woke up to a power outage on our Gong guan campus. If this is any tell of how the rest of the weekend/next week is going to be with the upcoming typhoon, I am not ready.

I got a 99 on my quiz today... I. AM. HURT. It was so so close I could taste the perfect score!!

Today I brought my umbrella to class because the typhoon starts this afternoon/evening. Class breeezed by because there was only 7 of us today. It was back day at the gym, and it was great! I’m definitely going to be sore. And I did some booty workouts on the floor afterward. After the gym we went to Gong guan market (the one by our house, not the Shi Da one by campus) to get some food and look for a SIM card for Bunny’s phone (so that she can have a local phone number and consistent data). We stopped and got pork buns and mango before heading home.

When I got home I finally was able to decompress from the long week. I relaxed for a few hours before leaving the house at 10pm to go to the grocery store with Bunny. When we got to the grocery store, it was about an hour or so before closing, and it looked like the apocalypse hit. All the shelves were sweeped, but we got some food to get us through the weekend.... Like wine and rice and potatoes and eggs and snacks. After the grocery store we headed home to relax and shelter away from the upcoming typhoon.

Saturday:

I made breakfast this morning after finally leaving the bed at 1:30 pm. I made eggs and papas!! - An old fave. (Jaylene I miss you). I also cut up some apples too to eat with peanut butter. It was good, but the papas weren't up to par because I only had two seasonings... Sad day.

The rest of the day was spent in bed, watching Power and being a couch potato. At 8:30pm our power went out again, but only for a few minutes. It was getting pretty crazy outside at this point. You could hear the wind howling and tree branches swinging and water pushing its way through the cracks in the closed windows of the bathroom/bedroom.

At 9pm is when I spilled my Pink Moscato on my laptop. HOW COULD SOMETHING SO SWEET BETRAY ME SO HARSHLY?? My computer immediately died after letting out this depressing noise and became completely non-responsive...and so did I. I was on the brink of a meltdown. To keep from succumbing to panic, I put my phone on DND and went to sleep at 9:30pm. I literally knocked the hell out. That’s the best way to avoid problems/conflict right? Take ya ass to sleep.

Sunday:

I woke up by 4:45/5am, and reality set in. I spoke to my mom on the phone, and she helped calm me down and rationalize the situation. I was a mess. I still am a mess. I cannot afford a new computer right now, and I'm nervous about going to get it fixed because I don't want to be taken advantage of, and I wouldn't know the difference either way... I'm clearly foreign. But I have 8 years of memories and information stored on this laptop, so I'm not letting it go without a fight. I called a few places that claim to fix Apple products on Google, but none of them turned up with any real answers. So after 12pm, I ended up going to the Apple Store at Taipei 101. I took a quick shower and brought a bunch of stuff I figured I might need: my laptop, external hard drive, a flannel, umbrella, towels, a hat, and snacks. I've never been outside when there was a typhoon brewing so it's better safe than sorry right? As soon as I walked outside I could tell something was off. There weren't a lot of people bustling about, and there were countless fallen branches and leaves covering the sidewalks and roads.

I hopped on the bus, and then the MRT, to head to Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper in Taiwan. I had this lingering thought in the back of my mind... let me illustrate... “Is it a good idea to go to the tallest sky scraper in Taiwan when there’s a hurricane with strong winds/ pouring rain just waiting to happen?”... All i could picture is the structure toppling over with all of us inside and causing this huge disaster, similar to something straight out of an Apocalyptic movie like 2012.... Anyway, I arrived just before 1pm, and come to find out, the Apple Store is CLOSED. I’m salty. All the lights are on and the store would otherwise look open, it's just that there's no one inside. It's completely empty. Even all the devices on display are powered on. It was kinda errie... Like those paper towns the military sets up, where it looks like a normal town and everything, just no one lived there... I looked online (again) and went to their actual website where it says today (and only today) they open at 2pm instead of 11am. So I just waited around the mall for an hour until they opened. I found a bench and an outlet so I was just sitting here chilling....Glad I brought my snacks. ;)

When the time finally came to go back to the Apple Store, that overwhelming feeling came rushing over me again. I ended up crying like a PUNK to the customer service lady. So annoying!!! Ugh. I was a fragile mess. I spoke to two different managers who both spoke perfect English, and they helped to reassure me that they would try their best to help me. I have to come back tomorrow for a walk-in appointment with the Genius Bar. Fingers crossed they can help me, or at least retrieve/save my information.

I left Taipei 101 feeling pretty defeated, so I got some McDonalds on the way home... I know it sounds silly but I needed comfort food and something that felt like home. I ordered the filet o fish (which I crave daily), with fries and a coke. This was not my best moment, but the whole meal only cost 95 NT!! (Less than $3.20). CRAZY!

I came home and that’s when I started reading my book that I keep mentioning, “You Are A Badass” By Jen Sincero. It helped me to feel better and get into a better frame of mind.

I took a break from reading to help Bunny make curry for tonight’s dinner. It was BOMB and came out fairly well if I may say so myself. I’ll definitely be making curry more often when I come back to the States.

I finished reading my book just before calling it a night. SUCH a good read I cannot stress this enough!!! I learned so much from Jen’s words and she adds funny stories/anecdotes and the way she describes things is just so relatable. If you have a chance to read it I definitely recommend!!!

I went to sleep pretty late, I was laying in bed catching up with Jay (via text) and other friends from back home. Before closing my eyes, I decided to practice meditation, which is one of the key concepts in the book. I wasn’t very successful the first time, because it was hard to clear my mind and just be still. I know it takes practice, so I’m going to try to dedicate time every day to meditate for at least 5 minutes! Feel free to join me on this challenge, it’s supposed to reap unprecidented benefits!

Also, please pray that when I take my laptop in tomorrow to the Apple Store they can fix whatever’s wrong!!! I need all the prayers I can get. I’m speaking it into existence now: MY COMPUTER WILL LIVE. IT WILL RISE AGAIN. IT WILL POWER ON.

Until next time,

xoxo

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tourguideexpert-blog-blog · 5 years

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Best places to eat and drink in Japan: readers travel tips

New Post has been published on https://travelqia.com/must-see/best-places-to-eat-and-drink-in-japan-readers-travel-tips-2/

Best places to eat and drink in Japan: readers travel tips

It might not be hard to find great sushi in Tokyo, or a gem of a saki bar, but where would you go for the best okonomiyaki pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls, gold ice-cream or udon noodles?

Winning tip: Takoyaki, Nishiki Market, Kyoto

Ive eaten the most rarefied meals of my life in Japan, but its hard to beat the charms of a 2 portion of takoyaki fluffy balls of eggy batter studded with boiled octopus, ginger and spring onion in a polystyrene tray. These are anointed with takoyaki sauce (Japans answer to HP) and mayonnaise, then sprinkled with dried pink bonito (skipjack tuna) flakes, which writhe in the heat emanating from the molten core. You spear each ball with a notched cocktail stick and nibble while trying to avoid singing your lips. Its like eating mouthfuls of octopus-flavoured cloud. Osaka invented them, but you can find them pretty much everywhere in Japan. Among the best are the ones served in Kyotos Nishiki Market, where you buy a ticket from a vending machine before placing your order with the cook juggling the golden balls. MoragR

Tofu temple, Kyoto

Photograph: Guardian Witness/MoragR

You need a good-luck talisman (and some instructions printed from the internet) to find Shoraian, hidden in the glorious Arashiyama mountains to the west of Kyoto. To reach it I followed the jade waters of the Hozu river, then took a steep path into the forest to a lonely hillside clearing with a wooden house, which seems to belong in a fairytale. Shoraians fame rests on its tofu-based menu. It sounds ascetic, but this is Japan, where simplicity means invention and elegance. All its tofu is made in-house, which results in something completely unlike the stuff packaged in supermarkets. We ate in a room overlooking the river and shaded by rustling trees. We chose the cheapest of the set menus, at around 25 per head (lunch is always a more affordable option than dinner in Japan). The meal starts with homemade plum wine served with a scoop of tofu as creamy as burrata, served with a pinch of salt. Vegetarian delicacies follow, an artwork on a plate. Then a bowl called sunrise, served with a calligraphy poem, based on a preserved egg as bright as a pocket-sized sun. Then comes yudofu (tofu hot-pot) blocks of tofu simmered in tasty broth. Dessert is tofu ice-cream nutty, toffee-ish and textured. I will never eat a more magical meal. Ukyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, +81 75 861 0123, shoraian.com MoragR

Sushi Tokami, Ginza, Tokyo

Hiroyuki Sato preparing sushi at Tokami. Photograph: Guardian Witness/pfrosty

Ginza is where the best sushi places in Tokyo are found and must be among the best in the world. Sushi Tokami is my pick of the lot, run by Michelin-starred Hiroyuki Sato, one of the young guns of the sushi scene, who loves a joke and is happy to chat and explain while making exquisitely flawless nigiri. The place is a tiny basement affair with 10 seats in total but when you also learn that Tokami means 10 gods then you realise this restaurant is a small but beautiful offering to the world of sushi. Sushi (10 pieces) from 31 including soup and appetiser, Ginza Seiwa Silver Building B1F, 8-2-10 Ginza, Chup-ku, +81 3 3571 6005, sushitokami.3zoku.com pfrosty

Jumanji 55, Roppongi, Tokyo

Photograph: Facebook

You dont get much better than Roppongi for a fun cheap night out in Tokyo. For just 6 you can drink as much as you like here for four hours, and the service is fantastic. It has everything: bizarre interior design, a fine selection of western and Asian music and a real buzz. It also has a great selection of traditional snacks. 3-10-5 Mariner building 1F, +81 3 5410-5455, jumanji55.com Natasha Alexa Searle

Bar Track, Ebisu, Tokyo

Ebisu is known for its izakayas (informal bar and eating joints) and as a cool spot away from the crowds of Shinjuku and Shibuya. A simple sign saying Bar on a nondescript building leads to a warm and hushed interior. Theres a huge selection of rare Japanese and Scotch whiskies and US bourbons. The bartenders play old jazz and blues records from a collection of thousands through vintage wooden speakers. There are simple bar snacks to keep you going banana chips, wasabi peas and rice crackers.

3-24-9 Higashi Shibuya +81 3 5466 8871, on Facebook Sam Seager

Kushiya monogatari, Shinjuku, Tokyo

Photograph: Getty Images/Flickr Open

This is a brilliant restaurant in the Shinjuku area offering a range of tabehodai and nomihodai (all you can eat/drink) options. It specialises in kushiage various meats, veg and fish on skewers. Each table has a small fryer in the middle, you pick out the skewers you want and batter/fry them yourself at your table. The best thing is you can have as much as you want in 90 minutes for about 2,500 (15.50) including drinks. I have eaten in many different types of restaurant in Japan but this definitely ranks at the top of my list. Not only is the food excellent but it is a fun and unique dining experience and great value for money. 1-3-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, 5th fl, Sunflower Bldg, +81 3 5321 6166, sunnypages.jp Roy Searle

Sushibar Hamacho, Nozawa Onsen

Photograph: Alamy

Nozawa Onsen is a great little ski resort, still very traditional. Its tiny streets have a great selection of eating places. My favourite was Sushibar Hamacho, a one-room place with seating at the bar or on the floor of a raised, matted platform. The place is usually busy with seemingly random opening hours. But the fresh, plump salmon and tuna are beautifully presented and of perfect quality, taste and texture. Four of us shared the platter and then polished off another one. Most meals cost around 9. 9519 Toyosato Nozawaonsen-Mura, +81 2 6985 2591 buryboy

Hida beef and sake in Takayama

Photograph: Getty Images/AWL Images RM

Kill two culinary birds with one stone with a visit to Takayama, a historic town in the mountains 200 miles west of Tokyo, famous for both its hida beef and sake. Once youve explored the numerous shrines and temples sprinkled around the surrounding hillsides, keep an eye out for the distinctive balls of cedar hanging from a building which signify a sake brewery; where the cedar ball has turned brown it means the sake is ready to drink. Several of the breweries offer tastings, and tasting cloudy sake is definitely an experience. In the evening, head to a specialist hida beef restaurant, such as Maruaki, to experience the best steak youll taste in your life. 6 Chome-8 Tenmanmachi, +81 577-35-5858, hidagyu-maruaki.co.jp cr7364

Noodles at Gamou-Udon, Shikoku island

Photograph: Alamy

For the true udon experience, go to Kagawa prefecture on Shikoku island. The signature foods here are soup and the al dente udon noodles. Gamou-Udon sits in the middle of farmland, dedicated to serving mainly udon and soba (thin buckwheat noodles) available only during its season from Nov-Apr. The menu is simple: small, medium or large noodles and you can add your own toppings (selection of tempura, fried bean curd and poached egg). I recommend to stay within three toppings to actually enjoy the noodles. This small hut that seats about 15 people gets very busy. People come, slurp the noodles and leave. Locals as well as Japanese tourists queue up during lunch hour. If you go too late, they will run out for the day so go early. It doesnt do dinner. Best udon Ive ever had (Im Japanese). 762-0023 Kagawa-ken, Sakaide-shi Alvin K Shimoju

Somen noodles, Shodoshima island

The small island of Shodoshima off Okoyama often gets overlooked by visitors to the Seto inland sea who favour its nearby arty, even smaller, neighbour Naoshima. Shodoshima, however, is a food paradise, from roadsides lined with olive groves, to the smell of sesame oil wafting through the air; food is central to life here. Highlights for visitors include Yamaroku, a small family soy sauce producer who estimates the age of its business through the ancient barrels its soy sauce ferments in. It is free to visit and you can climb up and look into the dark vats as well as sample a delightful spectrum of soy sauce products. Around the corner you will also find Nakabuan, a local somen noodle-maker where you can watch the thin wheat-flour noodles being hand-rolled, while eating the one dish on the menu, a bowl of fresh somen with dipping sauce. ID5040053

Gold ice-cream, Kanazawa

Photograph: Guardian Witness/Claire Mason

The opportunity to indulge in a golden ice-cream is rare; but not here in Kanazawa. The city was spared from bombing during the second world war and has managed to retain its historic districts and charm. It produces almost all of Japans gold leaf, and there must be a surplus because its even used as an ice cream topping. You can buy the creamy, gold ice-cream from various stands in the historic parts of town. Claire Mason

Okonomiyaki pancakes, Hiroshima

Photograph: Getty Images/AWL Images RM

Street food has been mainstream in Japan for a while now, with variations on savoury pancakes in the 20 or so eateries in Hiroshimas Okonomiyaki building a classic example. Combining whatever ingredients you want fried up with fish stock and cabbage pancake mix is an unpretentious meal, eaten off up-turned beer crates while sat around the hot plate. The snack is highly visual, with a pizza-size lattice of mayonnaise and tangy sauce mingling with oscillating tuna flakes sizzling away. Yours for 7. Tayls79

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us

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